Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 2: While appreciating the latest decision of J&K Government granting rights to the families displaced from West Pakistan settled on the government land, the PoJK DPs settled outside the J&K have demanded their one time settlement.
These people, in a joint press statement have said though the things have changed at large in Jammu and Kashmir, yet the undecided fate of DPs of PoJK -1947 settled outside J&K still awaits justice who have been deprived of all benefits announced by State/Central Government through the Financial Package announced for PoJK DPs of 1947 on Nov 7, 2015 by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
After seven years’ long judicial battle in the Supreme Court of India and the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, an order in favour of the applicants was passed disposing thereof the cases filed vide OWP No. 901/2017 (Rajesh Kumar Basandhi) and OWP No. 1615/2017 filed by Harbans Singh and others with the remarks, “As the Govt of India has now volunteered to revisit and reorient the entire position with respect to 5300 displaced families of PoJK of 1947 through their successors/ heirs settled outside the erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir and that includes consideration of their respective entitlement to get and be paid the one time settlement amount as afforded to the 26319 displaced families of PoJK of 1947 settled in the erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir, so this court disposes off all the writ petitions with a direction to the Govt of India to treat the 5300 displaced families of PoJK of 1947 settled in the erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir and consequently worked out one time settlement/ rehabilitation package as made admissible to 26319 displaced families of PoJK of 1947 settled in the erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir and further to accord same status and entitlements in their respective favour as held and enjoyed by the 26319 displaced families of PoJK 1947 settled in the erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir. Needful to be done at the earliest and preferable within six months.”
Harbans Singh, general secretary, Muzzaffarabad (PoK) Welfare Society, Punjab, requested the Union Government and the Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to issue necessary notification in this regard to include all the 5300 DPs of PoJK 1947 residing outside Jammu.
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